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About this project

HUGE THANKS!!! WE DID IT TOGETHER!

The campaign is over but we will still honor the perks as we continue to fundraise to finish the film. If you are interested in donating you can contact Adam at codedstories@gmail.com. Donations are tax deductible via Los Angeles Film Forum. THANK YOU AGAIN! WE DID IT THANKS TO YOU! -Adam, Anthony, Guillermo

About. Coded Stories, a documentary film, weaves together contemporary art with indigenous rights to convey the struggle of the Mapuche of Chile to preserve their culture and way of life. After a year of original filming, we are reaching out to supporters to help us raise $25,000 to complete filming in Chile and Los Angeles through October 2012. The goal of Coded Stories is to spread awareness about the plight of the Mapuche, a people whose traditions are under serious threat and to share their beautiful art and culture with a larger audience.

Poem in Blue, based on a poem by Graciela Huinao. Art by Guillermo Bert.

QR codes (Quick Response codes), which
are computer-generated graphics that represent thousands of bits of information, can easily be scanned and referenced. Most people living in the developed world are all too familiar with
these codes: our groceries and clothing, highway travel, and our personal shopping patterns have bar codes attached, making tracking us and
selling to us incredibly easy.

Young protester in traditional attire

In contrast, many Mapuche of rural Chile live a life removed from
computer-generated graphics, mass consumerism, and high-speed roadways. Numbering around 600,000, the Mapuche are
the largest indigenous population in Chile. They were the only indigenous group
in the Americas to stave off Spanish occupation, and have retained their
identity as a distinct group in more remote reaches of southern Chile. Today, the Mapuche continue to struggle over access to their land (much of which has been privatized by the government) and the preservation of their rich culture.

Ceremonial Wood Carver Flavio Salazar

The Film. Coded Stories documents Guillermo's journey from the US to Chile to tell the story of six Mapuche by encoding each of their stories into a barcode which is then woven into a traditional textile by Mapuche weavers. The Mapuche
“storytellers” will encompass a wide range of Mapuche voices: writers, village
elders, farmers, sculptors. So far, they
include: the poet Graciela Huinao; “Bird Man” Lorenzo Aillapán who has the ability to imitate bird calls; ceremonial woodcarver Flavio Salazar; Machi (medicine man) Juan Curaqueo; the director of the Mapuche radio
station, Elias Paillan; and weaver Anita Paillamil.

The encoded textiles and their companion films will be unveiled in an exhibition at the Pasadena
Museum of California Art in October 2012, with additional exhibitions planned in Chile and America thus far. The art, exhibit, film and website will
jointly raise awareness about the Mapuche and spark dialogue about the struggle to preserve identity in the face of globalization and consumer culture.

Timeline. Time is of the essence for Guillermo and the film crew who are filming this summer to document the lives of the Mapuche and capture their stories in time for the October 2012 exhibit. The opening of the exhibit in October is the climax of the film and it is crucial to raise these funds in order to complete the filming. The $25,000 will cover travel expenses for the crew from LA to Chile, as well as costs for filming in Chile and Los Angeles: crew, equipment, hard drives, and editing

If we raise a minimum of $25,000, we can return to Chile to film the final creation of the textiles as Guillermo works with the Mapuche weavers to weave them on time for the October exhibit—something that has turned into an unexpected hurdle as the QR codes are just unique enough from traditional patterns to make this work quite challenging. And we will film Guillermo's efforts to complete the project in time.

Your donation is tax-deductible! Coded Stories is sponsored by
the non-profit organization Los Angeles Filmforum. Your contributions to
the film, beyond the cost of any perks, are tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law (and you need to itemize your taxes). if you don't take a perk, the full amount is deductible! Filmforum will send you a letter of receipt for your taxes.

Perks. During Guillermo's most recent trip he collected several beautiful Mapuche crafts which he is donating to the campaign! We hope you will enjoy them as well.

Traditional Mapuche Scarves. $125 Perk, plus DVD of the film.

Mapuche Art and Hat, $150 Perk, plus DVD

Deepest Gratitude. We believe the story of the Mapuche is a universal story of the struggle faced by indigenous populations around the world and we thank you for supporting this project. Guillermo has generously donated several pieces of his art to this campaign including, t-shirts, prints, and original works in order to share the rich and storied culture of the Mapuche to a larger audience. We are excited to include traditional Mapuche scarves and art that Guillermo has purchased in Chile.

Want to see more? Check out a longer trailer, with more material from one of the weavers, including filming through March 2012, at https://vimeo.com/44198668

We thank you for your support!

FAQ

Have a question?
If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.

Rewards

Pledge $15 or more

SOCIAL CODE. We will give you a shout out on our social media outlets and a digital still from the film.

Estimated delivery:Jul 2012

You selected

Pledge $25 or more

79 backers

CODED STORIES DOWNLOAD. For your early support of Coded Stories, you'll receive a digital download of the film ahead of retail distribution, plus the above.

Estimated delivery:Apr 2013

You selected

Pledge $45 or more

5 backers
Limited (15 left of 20)

CODED STILL. Thanks to our talented co-director, Anthony Rauld, we have some gorgeous photographs of Chile and of our filming. We are thrilled to announce that for $45, we are offering a Coded Stories production still. We will have five different images for you to choose from. Shipping costs included.

We love the natural environment of Chile and would love to share it with you.

Estimated delivery:Nov 2012

You selected

Pledge $50 or more

22 backers
Limited (8 left of 30)

DVD. A special autographed edition of the DVD of the finished film, plus the above.

Estimated delivery:Aug 2013

You selected

Pledge $75 or more

7 backers

SCREENING: An invitation to our premiere screening in Southern California (or other cities), and all of the above.

Pledge $125 or more

MAPUCHE SCARF. Indigenous Mapuche textiles are revered for their detail and simplicity. Enjoy a handcrafted Mapuche scarf from southern Chile, along with a DVD and a credit in the film.

Estimated delivery:Sep 2012

You selected

Pledge $150 or more

4 backers
Limited (3 left of 7)

MAPUCHE ART & HAT. During Guillermo's last trip to Chile he acquired beautiful woven Mapuche wall hangings and a traditional Mapuche hat. Perk includes DVD of the film.

Estimated delivery:Sep 2012

You selected

Pledge $250 or more

7 backers
Limited (8 left of 15)

BARCODE PRINT. Display a Limited-Edition Print on archival paper of Barcode Art by Guillermo Bert, along with a DVD or digital download of the film, and a credit.

Estimated delivery:Nov 2012

You selected

Pledge $1,000 or more

1 backer
Limited (1 left of 2)

ORIGINAL ART. A 12" x 12" Barcode artwork from Guillermo Bert, along with a DVD or digital download of the film, and a credit.

Estimated delivery:Nov 2012

You selected

Pledge $1,500 or more

1 backer
Limited (3 left of 4)

DINNER AND A MOVIE. If you are in Southern California, this might be for you! Along with a Limited-Edition print, DVD, and credit, you'll be invited to a special dinner with the director and artist in Los Angeles, with superb Chilean wines, and a screening of the movie.

Estimated delivery:Jun 2013

You selected

Pledge $5,000 or more

2 backers
All gone!

GOLDEN CODED STORY. Original 2'x2' artwork from Guillermo Bert featuring his QR Code art with gold and black. along with a DVD or digital download of the film, and a credit. Bert will give you a couple of options for the design, and teh work will be three-dimensional, made on a laser cutter, and finished in different textures.

Estimated delivery:Jun 2013

You selected

Pledge $10,000

0 backers
Limited (2 left of 2)

YOUR CODED STORY. Original commissioned QR Code art by Guillermo Bert. Guillermo will create a bar code based on your personal story, poem, narrative, then turn that into an original work of art. ALSO, be credited as an Executive Producer on the film!

Estimated delivery:Oct 2012

Funding period

Jun 17, 2012 - Jul 17, 2012
(30 days)

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